Chasing Forever
by k.canspiner
Summary: Zoe was a sweetheart of the town in Bluebell, Alabama. When suddenly her life changed and her mother wanted her back to New York City. She had to leave everyone behind. She had to leave her friends, her father, her Wade.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Prologue: True

*RING* The bells rang as all the students swam out of the classes into the hallway of lockers.

"Finally! Today is the longest da…" The green hazel eyes boy said with a sigh and shook his head for a little which make his long dirty blond hair went all around and looked like he just woke up which he did from the previous class, Chemistry. He started to walk down the hallway to his locker to put away his books and headed home.

"Wade, you have said that sentence since we were first grade." The blue eyes boy with blond hair said before Wade even finished his sentence with his smile that made all the girls in Cyrus Lavinius Jeremiah Jones high school swoon. His locker was beside with Wade and he too, started to put his books away.

"George Tucker! You are a golden boy. It is obvious that you like school because all the girls in school always make googly eyes at you every time you walked pass them by." The 16-year-old boy Wade Kinsella argued back and slammed the door of his locker shut, but his friend, George, only laughed back.

"First of all, I don't like school because all the girls make 'googly eyes' at me but I have to have a higher score to get myself into a good lawyer school…" He quotes the word with his two fingers to emphasise. "… and second, if I don't go to school, my ma will have my behind for sure because I once saw Harry skipped a class once and my ma whoop his ass! And that is the scariest thing I have ever seen." He chuckled when he thought of his older brother when he left the school early just to go buy a ticket to Monster Truck rally at New Orleans because that was the last day that they gonna sold it.

"Ugh…" He stopped for second before he continued. "Hey Tucker! I just remember that next weekend has a prom. Do you want to go to prom?" Wade asked with a smile that showed all of his teeth including the braces.

"With you. Absolutely no." George laughed so hard that his head hit his own locker. Then, he started to slow down his laughter when he saw Wade's smile turned into that pouty mouth.

"No, you bastard. I mean like who do you want to take with you if you were going to the prom." Wade asked again, but only got George's suspicious smile back.

"Why are you interesting all of the sudden? You never go to prom before." George frown and acted like he didn't care.

"I don't know, it just pops up in my head so I just want to get it out." Wade said but his forehead started to form a sweat.

"Well then, I don't know too. Maybe I will just go with the first girl that ask me to go with her, you know." George said.

Of course, this is Bluebell for Pete's sake! The prom is not a normal prom where girls were so giddy and waited for the boys to asked them to go to the prom with and got a limo and whatsoever. But obviously, Bluebell had its own tradition by having it on a literally reverse role. The girls had to ask the boys and picked the boys up with their cars, took the boys to the dance, and finally drove the boys home. Which was really awkward to be honest.

"Right…." Wade said. He turned around and saw that almost everybody had left the school, it only a couple people still put their things away in their locker so he was ready to sprint out of the doorway to the outside of the building at ran all the way to home. Unfortunately, he only dashed for like two steps before he crashed into someone and all of his or her things scattered all around the floor.

"Oh! I am so sorry. I didn't know that there is someone behind me. I shouldn't have run in the first place when there are signs that said no running in the hallway all around the school." Wade rambled. He started to panic when the other person didn't say anything back. His concern then changed to confusion when the other person started to giggle nonstop. That person looked up from the spot she had sit on the floor when she got crash by Wade and in that moment, Wade knew exactly who he had collided with. It was a girl with big brown doe eyes and brown locks, that girl was Zoe Wilkes, one of the town doctors' daughter. Zoe Wilkes, the smartest girl in the school. Zoe Wilkes, the kindest girl in the school. Zoe Wilkes, the cutest girl in the school. But most importantly, Zoe Wilkes, the girl that Wade had a crush on.

"That's okay. It doesn't hurt that much." Zoe said between her giggle. She started to gather her belongings on the saw that and get down on his knees to help her pick all the books up.

"Here, let me help you." He picked all of her books but when she tried to take it off his hands, he just pulled it back towards himself.

"Wade, I'm gonna go now though. Today is my ma's birthday, I can't be late." George said and walked away. he didn't even know that Wade didn't listen to him at all because all of Wade's attention was the girl in front of him.

"Nah. It's okay. Where's your locker? At least let me do this. I feel really bad that I almost knock you out and didn't do anything." He shyly said it and kept all of her books in his left arm and got up on the floor before lent his other arm towards her on the floor so she could reach for his hand and pulled her up.

"You don't have to do that. I'm okay. Seriously, you help me pick my things up is enough." Zoe reached out for his hand with her left hand and when they touched, they could feel the spark and the electricity run around over their bodies. He pulled her up so she can stand on her feet and responded back to her.

"Well, I'm not okay. So…Please allow me to escort you to your destination." He suddenly got back to his playful banter.

He knew where her locker was heart by heart, he just didn't want her to think of him as a stalker or something else. He knew that it was two lockers away from him from his right side. The locker that was between them was George's. But he didn't say anything, just wait for her to answer his plea.

"Okay. Umm…two lockers away from you actually." She bit her lower lip and smile that shy smile at him that almost knock him.

"Oh…Okay then." He smiled back with his crooked grin that showed off his braces and walked her to her locker. He helped her put everything in the locker and closed it for her.

"So…" He started to say something but never get it out.

"So…" She mimicked and giggle a little. Wade chuckled and ran his fingers through his shoulder-length hair whenever he got nervous.

"If you don't know what to say, can I say first?" Zoe said with a shy smile.

"Sure, go ahead." Wade replied.

"Thank you for helping me carry my things though, I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome." He smiled back.

They stood in front of each other at her locker. She with a shy smile on and looked at the floor. He with his right hand his hair and his other hand in his jean's pocket.

"I…" He started to say something and then stopped. Zoe then looked up and locked her eyes with his. She waited for him to speak again.

"I…I will see you around then." Wade said awkwardly and turned his back to her and walked slowly toward the exit of the building. He just walked halfway of the hallway when Zoe shouted at him. She didn't know what had gotten into her, she only knew that she didn't want Wade to leave yet. Not when she had a chance to finally talk to him.

"Wade! Wait!" He stopped and turned back to look at her when he saw her walked beeline toward him.

"You know my name?" he stunted for a bit but put his poker face on when inside, he was literally jumped up and down from joy.

"Yeah. I know your name?" She said it more like a question but then she resumed what she wanted to talk about, "Anyway, you know that next weekend has a prom, right?"

"I do, in fact, know that." He said, confused.

"Okay. Do you have a date?" She started to fidget and she didn't know what to do with her hands so she just kept her hands inside her jean's back pockets and bit her lower lip again.

"No. No one asks me but I think this year will not be different from previous years."

"Now you do!" She said with enthusiasm. Then her eyes widened and her mouth was opened. "I mean, if you want to."

"If I want to what?" Wade already knew that in this moment, his crush just asked him to go to the dance with him but he just wanted to hear it again.

"If you…If you want to go to the prom next weekend with me?"

"Yes."

"Arghh…This is so embarrassing, I shouldn't just ask…Wait what?! What did you just say?"

"I said yes, Zoe Wilkes. I would love to go to the prom with you next weekend."

"Okay…Cool." Zoe started to blush so hard that her face literally turned into a tomato. "Wait! How did you know my name? I didn't even introduce myself to you before."

"Well…How do I say it without making myself look like a retard?…We have history class together so that's how. What about you, how did you know my name?"

"To tell the truth, I would say the same. I mean the history class part, not a retard part though." She laughed.

They just stared at each other until her phone went off. They snapped out of the trance and she picked her phone up from her jean's front pocket. The phone showed the word 'Dad' on the screen, she read and looked back to Wade before she spoke to him again.

"I should really get going, I think my dad is worried about me by now that I didn't show up 20 minutes ago. I didn't know that I have talked to you for so long. You probably are bored of me by now. Sorry about that."

"No. No, it's okay. I'm not bored. I like to talk to you." He smiled softly.

"Okay. I have to go now. I'll see you around."

"Yeah, see you." He responded and saw she walked out of the door and pushed the receive button to talk to her dad, Harley Wilkes, and explained why she was late and her voice started to fade away when she walked further and further.

"So true. Funny how it seems. Always in time, but never in line for dreams… " He sang softly to himself before he skipped out of the door and headed to his home with a goofy smile on his face that show all of his braces all the way home.


	2. Chapter 2: U & Me

Chapter 2: U + Me

"Hey guys!" The big dark skin boy said out loud when he approached the table that had Wade and George sat on for lunch.

"Lavon Hayes! Long time no see." Wade said happily while standing up and pat Lavon at his back couple times.

"Yeah. I'm busy, you know, It's almost opening season and the coach is so aggressive lately because our first game is going to be with our biggest rival…"

"Fillmore." The boys at that table said in unison with a disgusting face and a venom in their voice.

"What about you guys? Something interesting going on with your life so far?" Lavon said jokingly.

"Meh…Just my ma's birthday and my pop got her a new pearl necklace." George said boringly when he thought of his mother, Clora Tucker, all giddy-up when his father, Harold Tucker, tries to wear her with the necklace.

"What about you, Wade? Anything?" Lavon then turned his attention to Wade.

"Nope." Wade said casually like there was nothing going on just a few days ago.

George and Lavon looked at him with curiosity. Then George's head suddenly clicked when he remembered a couple days ago.

"Wade…I think I remember that you have finally had a gut to talk to the hottest girl in the school." George said sheepishly and the laughed hard when Wade's eyes almost out of his sockets and slightly blush on his cheeks.

"Uhh…It's not a big deal."

"Wade Kinsella. Tell me everything that you have said to her." Lavon said.

"Why do I have to do that? What are we? Girls? you talk like you are a girl, Lavon. I ain't gonna gossip with you." Wade chuckled. But only got Lavon and George gaped at him. They stared at Wade for a minute until Wade got really uncomfortable that he decided he was gonna said what they wanted to hear,

"Alright. Alright. Well…I was running and bumping into her."

"We don't want to know that. We want to know what are you two talking about." George said quickly.

"Umm…Ahhh.."

"Hey Wade…Can I talk to you for a second?" Then suddenly, the voice of an angel spoke behind him. He turned around just to see Zoe Wilkes stood behind him with a slight blush and bit her lower lip. Wade only stared at her and his face lit up like a kid on Christmas until she said again. "Umm…Wade, are you okay? Am I interrupting something? I'm sorry. I should have wait a bit longer. I didn't know that…."

"No! I mean no. It's okay. You are not interrupting something important. What do you want to talk about?" He snapped out of his trance and asked her back. He stood up from his seat and made a gesture with his hand that if she wanted to talk at another place. While George and Lavon were so interesting of what were they going to talk about. They totally saw that Wade's face had lit up and so was her.

"It will only take a minute. So what I want to ask you is when do you want me to pick you up?" Wade confused for a second before his face turned into a tomato when he knew what was going on.

The perks of being in the small town. Everybody knew everybody's houses and Kinsella's house happened to be the opposite of the Wilkes' houses which their houses only had a small road separate between them.

"Anytime would be fine." He smiled a little.

"Okay then, I think I will pick you up at 8 so we can have a dinner before we go to the gym."

"Sound good to me."

"And by the way, I just know a few minutes ago that prom this year theme will be a masquerade ball. So do you have a suit?"

"I think I have one" He, indeed, had one and he only wore it once for his mother's funeral.

"Great! What color is it?"

"Black."

"Okay. I think I have a black dress. Thank you for going with me."

"My pleasure."

"That's it. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, see you." Wade smiled back and waved a little at her. She waved back and bit her lower lip before turned around and went to her way. Wade turned around and sat on his chair again before looked up to his friends which they stared at him wide eyes.

"What?" Wade asked.

"Wade, you dawg! You got a date with the prettiest girl in the school and didn't tell us. Lavon and I are so disappointment in you. We thought you are our best friends." George said and touched his chest in a hurt way while Lavon pretended that he was crying.

"And we are since we are a toddler. It just that I was gonna tell y'all but didn't know how to tell." Wade chuckled.

All of the sudden, there was someone shoved Wade's right shoulder. When Wade turned around again, he became face to face with the Truitt brothers - Rudy, Rocket, and Chicken - and Rocket was the one who shoved him.

"Hey Kinsella! I heard that you got a hot date with Zoe Wilkes. Is that true?" Rudy asked Wade and hit Chicken's head when he saw that Chicken was fast asleep while he still stood beside his brothers. Chicken was awake for like millisecond before he dozed off again.

"It's none of your business. Who am I going with is not your concern, Rudy."

"Hey. Hey. Hey. I just wanna know that is it true or not? We just saw you talk to her and we all know she had never asked a guy to the prom before. Why this year is different, but most of all, why did she choose to go with you?"

"Because I…I…I don't know either."

"I know right. I don't know either why she choose you when you are just a scrawny and lanky with long messy hair." Rocket then said afterward.

"Shut up you guys. Wade said it's none of your business then it's none of yours. Go find your sister before she hit it off with that Scooter boy over there." Lavon spoke up and pointed to across the room where Tansy Truitt, their little sister, made out with Scooter McGreevy.

Truitt brothers walked away from their table and started to walk toward Tansy and Scooter from across the room.

"I should get going. I'm gonna be late for the next class." Wade said to his friend before he stood up from his chair and walked away from them. he headed to the hallway and beeline to his locker.

"His next class is Chemistry." George said to Lavon quietly and they both knew that Wade loathed that subject.

Wade was picking up his Chemistry textbook when someone poked at his left shoulder. Wade thought that it was one of his friend, George, because he had the same class as him next so he turned around ready to face whatever his friend wanted to say to him, when he turned, it was not the golden boy or the quarterback of the football team, but it was her.

"Hi…again." She said shyly while holding all of her books.

"Hi…." Wade said and he didn't know what to say next.

"Look. About the prom…"

"Oh about that. You find someone better and want to go with him instead right? Go ahead, I don't mind. I am just a nobody anyway." Wade said quietly.

"What are you saying, Wade? I came here because I heard what those Truitt brothers said to you and I want to make sure that you are okay."

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't know that…But why do you choose me?" Wade then remembered what Rudy and Rocket said and he couldn't even find an explanation why.

"Do you really want to know?" She asked.

"Of course, I wanna know. Or are your friends daring you to ask me? If it is then…."

"No! No, of course not. It's because….because I….I have a thing for a boy with braces." She whispered quietly and then blushed so hard that beyond just a tomato, maybe a tomato farm.

"You what?!"

"I like a boy with braces." She said quietly but louder than the last time. Wade started to grin like an idiot.

"Wait! Tom also has braces." Tom Long was almost 5 years younger than them and he was a good kid, but he was kind of a whiny boy.

"Umm…He's just a kid, he's younger than me and I prefer someone who has the same age as me." She said sheepishly.

"Judson is also had it on." Judson Lyons was a nice guy and also smart. Everyone knew that when he grew up, he wanna be a vet.

"Well…Let's just say that he's boring and always talk about animals' guts."

"It leaves me then." Now, Wade's face started to flush so hard and he couldn't contain his smile any longer that he had to show his braces.

"Yep! It leaves you." She blushed when she answered him and she even blushed harder when he showed off his braces. She got it bad and her knees almost buckled.

"Well, I have to say that I feel honor and I also have a thing for a doe eyes girl."

"So…" She then looked at her clock on her phone and saw that it almost time for the next class. "…I'll see you then. Oh! And this prom thing is also our business. Just you and me. No one else." She said and quickly kissed his right cheek softly before she ran to the other way for her next class and never look back to him.

Wade touched his cheek that still felt her soft lips pressed against it and smiled like a fool to himself.

"Yeah…you and me."


	3. Chapter 3: After you part I

Chapter 3: After you part I

Today is the day. The day that Wade Kinsella had a prom date with Zoe Wilkes. It was almost 7.30 and he was nervous as hell. His body was cover by sweat all over again. He woke up at 7 this morning and usually on Saturday, he always woke up late because he wanted to sleep in. He couldn't sleep at night and he was wide awake till morning. He had already showered 3 times today and he thought that he was gonna need another shower. He literally ran upstairs to the bathroom and showered as fast as he could. Then he ran to his room to get ready. He combed his dirty long blond hair and checked his teeth. He started to get dressed in his black suit that had white shirt inside and a black bow tie. Well, he didn't have designer shoes or anything so he just gonna went with his white and black sneakers. He walked downstairs when he heard a knock on the door.

"Shit!" He mumbled to himself and then looked at the clock. It was 7.56. He ran to the door but slow down when he almost got there. He slowly turned the knob and opened it. When he saw her, he almost fell to the ground just seeing her in a strapless black dress with a white ribbon on her waist. She let down her hair and wore a white sky high heels.

"Hey…You ready?" She asked softly. She picked her hair and put it behind her right ear. Her cheeks flushed.

"Yeah…Let's go." He said pushing himself out of the door.

"Waaaadddeeeee…." Some thick southern accent slurred a word behind the almost close door. Wade opened his door again and walked inside his house.

"Earl." He murmured to himself. He turned toward Zoe. "Umm…Do you want to come in? I can make some tea if you want."

"No, thank you. I will for you." Wade then lead her to the living room and let she sat on the couch - his couch.

Wade walked to the kitchen where the voice came from and saw his father, Earl Kinsella also known as Crazy Earl - the town drunk. He observed his father and saw that on the kitchen island where his father was, had bottles scattered all around the table.

"What do you want. Earl?"

"Today is the prom day, right son?"

"Yep….the masquerade ball theme."

"Ooh…Your ma and I had gone to one when we dated in high school. I still have that mask."

Wade only rolled his eyes a little when his father wasn't looking at him. He heard Zoe's voice behind his back.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I kind of have a reservation at the restaurant at 8.30 and it's already 8.13." She whispered quietly beside Wade's left ear.

"Okay." He whispered back then turned his attention to his father. "Earl, I have to go now…" Wade didn't even finish his sentence before his father looked at him and then Zoe back and forth.

"Do you guys have a mask?"

"No, actually I just gonna buy it at the entrance of the gym. The little kids want to sell it instead of cookies." Zoe laughed a little when she said it.

"Nonsense. I have perfect masks for both of you. Just wait here, I'll be right back." Earl stumbled across the room and went upstairs to his room. About a minute later, he came down with a box that looked like a chest. He put it on the counter before the teenagers and opened it. Inside the chest revealed pictures and letters that can be seen which have a name on every envelope and most of them were from Jacqueline Kinsella, Wade's mother and Earl's true love. Earl continued to dig it out and at the bottom of it, it laid two black masked. One with a classic black, and the other one with a crystal trimmed around it and a little of a white feather. He picked those two masks up to his eye level and smiled a little. Zoe could already see that Wade got his smile from his father.

"Here you go! These were Jackie's and mine. You two should have it."

"No, thank you. I don't want to bother you. This is very generous of you but I can't take it."

"Kinsella men are stubborn. And I, for one, will not take no for an answer. Beside who should I give it to? I only have sons. I don't think Wade wants a feather one." Earl laughed hard then coughed slightly.

"You don't have to do this…." Wade said. Wade and Zoe took the masks.

"I want to do this and I know for sure that Jackie loved you since you were a kid. She always said about the doctor Wilkes' daughter was so lovely and she wished that you are her daughter instead of Wade."

"Hey! I'm standing right here." Wade uttered back but Earl didn't even hear and carried on a conversation that he had with Zoe.

"You have grown up so much that I thought you were a lady. A pretty one too. You reminded me of her." Earl smiled at Zoe and sniffled a little. Even though, it almost 2 years that Jacqueline has passed away, but Earl felt like it was yesterday.

"You should really get going. I'm sorry that I keep you guys for so long. Have a good night you two."

"You too. Sleep tight." Zoe spoke politely

"Bye, son. Bye, pretty lady." Earl waved and the teenagers waved back a little. Earl sat in his previous spot and began to pick his best friend up - Jack Daniel's.

Wade lead the way to the front door and opened the door for Zoe to walk outside and began the journey to the restaurant.

"After you."

"Thank you, kind sir….Wade, I just wanna say that I don't have a car today. It's just that my dad has an emergency in Mobile so he has to take the car. You don't mind walking from here, do you?"

"No, not at all…Or maybe do you want to take mine? Well, technically it's not mine, it's my brother's Vespa." Wade said and turned to the garage near his house. When he opened the gate, it revealed a green juniper Vespa sprint 70.

Wade's big brother, Jesse Kinsella. Jesse was like Wade, his hair color, his nose, and his eyes that didn't twinkle as his younger brother. And absolutely had not had a cute grin with braces like Wade had. Jesse was 4 years older than Wade, and when he reached 18 years old, he left Bluebell to become a soldier. Since then, he never came back to Bluebell, to his family, to Wade. When they were younger, there were so close together but after their mother passed away, the Kinsella family never been the same. Earl always got drunk and cried over everything he saw that reminded him of his love. Jesse couldn't accept that his father was a drunk that he had to escape from the reality and chose the coward way. He left Wade behind. Wade didn't just lose his mother, he lost his father over alcohol, he lost his brother over selfishness, he lost his family.

"Wow…I have never been on one before. Is it safe?" Wade snapped back from those hurtful memories and resumed the talk that he left off.

"I know how to ride it. I think you are safe with me. Do you trust me?" He put a key into the engine and ignited it.

"I trust you." He stretched out his right hand toward her waiting for her to grab it.

"Let's go on a ride, shall we?" She only let out a giggle and reached for his hand. When she held his hand for a bit longer. Wade's heart almost jumped out of his chest.

Wade hopped on the Vespa and Zoe followed him. She circled her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his strong back, and Wade swore to himself that he was gonna fly. He could feel butterflies danced around in his stomach. Wade started to drive out of the driveway on the way to the town square.

"So…Where exactly that you have a reservation at?"

"I got it at the Rammer Jammer."

"Wait…The Rammer Jammer doesn't do a reservation!"

"I know. I just have an insider and he or she may or may not reserve it for us."

"I thought that you wanna go to Fancy or the Butter Stick."

"Well, right now I'm craving for a good hamburger that only the Rammer Jammer can provide it for me." She gave a half-suppressed laugh.

They rode to the restaurant and bar in silent but both of them have a goofy smile on their face. Wade parked the Vespa in front of the diner and killed the ignition. Zoe hopped out of the Vespa and walked to the entrance of this establishment and greeted the owner of this place, Wally Maynard.

"Hi! , Do you still have an available table?"

"Unfortunately, no. I try to save it for you, but today is very busy and people have been coming in and out all dinner rush. But I do have one place left. It is highchair at the bar counter if that's okay with you."

"Anywhere is fine, thank you very much ."

"Please, call me Wally." He smiled at her and walked away to greet with other customers.

"Come on Wade, I'm hungry." She turned into the direction of Wade and grabbed his hand before dragged him behind her the the counter at the bar. The waiter came to them and gave them a menu. Zoe sat there and didn't even open the menu.

"The usual please, thank you Mr. Mercy." Leon Mercy, the waiter at the Rammer Jammer for a long time and his fiancé was also a waitress, Debbie soon-to-be-Mercy. When they will get married, the Mercy couple will resign from this place, and opened their own shop for a fisherman.

"Same as always, miss Wilkes." Even though, Leon had always said to Zoe that just called him Leon. She was such a sweet girl.

"Umm…Same as her." Wade said after he had been silent for so long.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Why not? If you like it, maybe I will like it too." She just smiled at him and swirled around the chair to meet with Leon again.

"Thank you, . I think that will only be our dishes." Leon just wrote on his note.

"Okay. If you need anything just holler." He said and back away to the kitchen.

Wade and Zoe just sat in a comfortable silence with the sound of people around the diner is a background voice. They didn't wait for long before their dishes were placed before them.

"Your usual are just cheese hamburger with onion rings on the side." Wade said surprisingly.

"Don't forget the Pepsi." She picked up the glass of Pepsi and shook it a little that it made a sound of the ice hitting the glass. She just chortled at his face and started to devour her food. He guffawed back and gulped down his food afterward.

While they were in the middle of snatching each other onion rings, Dash Dewitt - the owner of the town website called Dash Dewitt's blog - came to them.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here. The sweetheart girl, miss Wilkes, and the youngest son of the Kinsella family. Are you two on a date?" Dash asked enthusiasm and pulling out his recorder, ready for them to say and wrote it for the article. Zoe and Wade sat there and looked at Dash with wide eyes.

"Umm…" Wade blushed hard by now. He didn't want to say anything and he totally didn't want to say yes when she probably didn't think it was a date.

"You could say that. We just want to grab dinner before we join the prom." Zoe said confidently and her face flushed.

"And how.." Before Dash even finished his sentence, Dalton McDaniel came.

"Dash Dewitt, you leave those lovebirds alone. Let them enjoy themselves." Dalton said from his seat across the diner. Dalton was Dash's neighbor and these two did not fond of each other.

"Ah. Dalton McDaniel, yesterday you cut my trees down…." Those two started to argue whatever they had been going on and their voices started to face away.

When they are finished, Wade insisted that he should pay but of course, Zoe was stubborn as a mule and wouldn't let pay for her. Both of them just stared at each other like they were having a staring competition.

"Umm…I don't want to interrupt you guys but it's already been covered." Out of nowhere, Debbie came into their view and said it. Zoe stopped looking at Wade's gorgeous eyes before asked Debbie.

"Who would that be…"

"It's on the house." Wally came into the view too and smiled at the teenagers. "Don't worry about it, you two should really get going if y'all wanna made it to the prom."

The teens said thank you to him and walked out of the door to the parking lot.

"Ah…young love." Dash Dewitt said to Wally.

"Yeah. I can see those two for a long haul."


	4. Chapter 4: After you part II

Chapter 4: After you part II

"Do you want any drink?" Wade asked her beside her right ear.

"Can I have a glass of punch?" Zoe whispered back to him which he was sitting nearby her at their table.

"As you wish."

They came into the gym that held the prom but the event already started with a loud music that blast through the gym. After they got out of the Rammer Jammer, same as before, Wade rode the Vespa with Zoe behind him and her arms around his waist. They wore their masks before they went inside. Wade went to the punch bowl at the corner of the room and found his two best friends were there too.

"Dude! way to go." George said while himself tried to get a glass of punch.

"You lucky bastard." Lavon said a bit of jealousy in his voice but smiled at his friend.

"What about y'all? You're taking who to the prom?" Wade tried to change the subject.

"Well, Annabeth Nass asked me just a couple days ago." George's cheeks slightly went to pink and he also tried o hide his smile from his friends.

"Annabeth is cute. You, Lavon?" Wade said.

"Uhh…first, Lemon Breeland asked me, and then Ruby Jeffries asked me just an hour after Lemon asked me to go with her to the prom, but I already said yes to Lemon. So I have to gently reject Ruby before she ran off to tell her grandfather." Lavon said and then thought of Sergeant Jeffries, her grandfather. He was a scary man and almost every kid in the town was afraid of him just to hear his name. His granddaughter was everything to him and Lavon was so scared that Sergeant Jeffries was gonna had his head before dawn, but he was alive and thank god for that.

"Oh! and also Didi Ruano asked me, but I know that Al O'Grady likes her so I turn down her offer and tell her that Al is waiting for her to ask him." Lavon said and saw Didi and Al danced on the dance floor laughing at each other. Yeah, they would make a good couple.

"Wait! So you're saying that the head cheerleader and soon-to-be the head of the Belles, Lemon Breeland asked you out?" George almost choked on his drink when he heard his friend said that name.

"Yeah. She is a lovely lady. What's wrong with her?"

"No! Not at all, I just surprised that a high-strung girl like her was brave enough to ask a big heart man like you. That's all" George said while Wade only nodded his head.

"I gotta go now. I don't want Zoe to wait so long." Wade said to his friends and walked away from them. George and Lavon also went to separate way to their date.

Wade came back with two glasses of punch, one for Zoe and one for himself. Zoe took a sip and sneaked a glance at Wade for a moment. Wade caught her stare and only chuckled and smiled that cute smile of his. They just sat in a comfortable silence and then the DJ - Meatball - decided to change the rhythm to slow. Even though he was kind of an ass, but he was a good musician and he volunteered himself to do this duty for the night.

"Everybody! Grab your partner and enjoy the night." Meatball said to the mic.

"Shall we?" Wade stood up from his seat and turned toward Zoe. He stretched his hand to her.

"We shall." she giggled and grabbed his hand. She stood up and literally dragged Wade to the middle of the gym.

The slow song started to begin and both of them swayed following the beat of the music. Zoe looked into his eyes for a moment and smiled softly at him before leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes. Her arms circled around his neck while his arms around her waist. He tensed for a short time before he began to relax and swayed a little more.

"I just want to dance with you all night when everyone has their disguise." Zoe said loud enough for Wade to hear, but not enough for other people to make out what she said.

"Me too." Wade tightened his arms and kissed at the top of her head. He didn't know why he did it but in that moment, it felt like it should be. Zoe didn't push him away, that was a good sign. They embraced each other like no one was in this room, just the two of them. They danced for so long they didn't know it was almost an hour that they had been on the dance floor. Then Meatball stopped the song and started to speak to the mic.

"Okay, everyone. It's time to announce who is the prom king and prom queen for this year." Everybody gathered around the stage waiting for their names to be called.

"And the prom king this year is….George Tucker!" Everybody was clapping at George. He walked up the stairs to the stage and smiled at everyone. You could swear that you heard every girl in this room was doing googly eyes at the golden boy.

"The prom queen this year is… Lemon Breeland!" Everybody was clapping at her too especially the boys from the football team because they knew that Lavon, The quarterback of the team, was her date.

Zoe and Wade were clapping at their friends in the corner before Wade stopped and whirled toward her.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Wade asked gently.

"I thought you would never ask." She took Wade's hand and lead Wade out of the door to the parking lots where their car was at. The sound of the party started to fade way as they walked further and further.

Wade rode the Vespa to the town square and stopped in front of the gazebo. Right now, every store was closed because it was already 11 at night. Zoe hopped out of the Vespa and beelined to the gazebo. She sat on the bench inside the shed and sigh loudly. Wade followed her and sat beside her on the bench.

"Ahhhhh!" Suddenly Zoe screamed at the top of her lungs and then laughed afterward. Wade startled and then confused about what was just happening.

"Are you okay?" Wade asked baffle.

"Yes! I'm okay." She uttered enthusiasm with a smile. She had never screamed in the middle of the night before.

"Are you sure? I can take you home if you want me to."

"I don't want this night to end." Her smiled starting to fade away and her eyes moved to the ground looking at her own high heels that dangled above the floor.

"I don't want it to end either."

"Let's talk."

"About what?"

"I don't know. Anything will do. I want to know all about you. Tell me everything."

"Well, my life is not that interesting."

"My life is not a fairytale. So that makes the two of us then…I'll go first!"

"Okay. Go ahead."

"I like black and white cookies."

"What is that?" Wade chuckled and looked at her.

"Hey! don't judge me. It is my favorite thing in the world."

"Okay. Okay. I'm allergic to pumpkins."

"No way! So you have never eaten pumpkin soup from Shula Whitaker before?"

"Nope."

"Whitaker's recipe is the best. Next, umm… I love peach pie."

"I'm allergic to rabbits."

"I like rabbits. They are so tiny and cute."

"I'm also allergic to birch beer."

"Why are you allergic to many things so much?"

"Just three, I'm only allergic to that three."

"Good… I'm Jewish."

"Ah. That's why you never attend at the Bluebell Community Church."

"I'm Jewish from my mother's side."

"How's your mom?" Zoe tensed a bit.

"I don't mean to get too personal. I'm sorry I say that."

"It's okay. Don't worry." She smiled at him but her smile didn't reach her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5: Up All Night

Chapter 5: Up All Night

"My mom's name is Candice. She was born in New York City and she is a publicist. She has celebrities as her clients. She told me once that she had worked with Alec Baldwin before and that is so cool." Zoe said with admiration. She slowly took off her mask and placed it on her lap. So was he.

"My ma's name was Jacqueline. She was born here and she was a housewife. A good one too. She likes to watch Breakfast at Tiffany's and sang Moon River every night. She died 2 years ago on Christmas. "

"Wow. I wish I have met her. She sounds like a good person. I think we would really get along with each other."

"I think she will like you."

"Really? That's so sweet…My mom just sends a divorce paper to my dad a few days ago."

"Why? If you not mind." Wade was shocked. He didn't know that her mother was going to break up with doctor Wilkes. The Wilkes couple was like the happiest couple in Bluebell except Reverend Peter Mayfair and Beverly Mayfair. Harley and Candice always showed their love to each other whenever they went out together. But last year, she got an offer to New York City and she had never come back to this town ever since.

"How do I say it properly? My mom found a new guy and she falls in love with him. His name is Ethan Hart. He is a cardiothoracic surgeon at New York Hospital."

"Whoah. That's a lot to take in. How are you keeping it up?"

"I'm fine, to be honest. I think they have a problem for a long time ago and it's time for my parents to go their separate way."

"Let's change the subject. Something that not too dramatic."

"Okay. What do you want to know about me?"

"How about…Why do you does not have a southern accent?"

"Because I move here when I was only six."

"That explains why I haven't seen you before until grade one. But that is like ten years ago, how can you still not say in a southern accent."

"My southern accent is terrible."

"Show me."

"Today is a lovely day, isn't it?" Zoe started to say in that southern pronunciation. Wade burst out laughing so hard that his eyes began to watery.

"That was awful."

"I know." She couldn't stop laughing after she saw him shaking with laughter. "Hey, let's go to Nate's Hardware."

"Why? You want to buy a hammer or something?"

"No." She giggled. "I have heard from my dad that the store's rooftop have a great view of the town and can see a star from up there." She stood from her seat and took Wade's hand into her while the other hand held her mask. She entwined their fingers together and that made Wade wanted to scream 'Thank God!' for that. She walked down the stairs of the gazebo and lead the way to Nate's Hardware which was across the main street in the town square.

"Won't you think that Shady and Becky will be pissed?" Wade whispered from behind. Zoe started to climb up the stairs case to the roof and Wade followed.

"No, I don't think that Mr. and Mrs. Hilson will be annoy about this." Shady and Becky Hilson had currently owned Nate's Hardware. The first owner was Nathaniel Hilson, Shady's great-great-grandfather.

They finally came up to the rooftop and silently stared into a sky full of stars. Zoe slowly sat down on the floor and laid back down. She looked up to the sky. Wade came after and laid down beside her. They just situated there and watched the stars.

"What do you know about constellation?" Zoe spoke in hushed tones to Wade, broke the silence in the middle of the night.

"To be honest, I don't know anything about stars."

"You have to know at least one." Zoe pressed.

"Okay. Okay. I know what that star called." He pointed to the brightest star in the sky. "That star's name is Zyvarus."

"Wow. That's the weirdest name I have ever heard…Wait! Did you just made that up?" Sh asked in a whisper, confused with what he just said to her.

"Yep!" He then roared with laughter unable to just keep it inside anymore.

"Jerk!" She hit his arm but she tore up and laughed with him.

"I told you. I don't know anything about it. What about you? Which one that you know?"

"I only know one. It's called…Zyvarus." She giggled mimicking what Wade had said before.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. That is really funny." Wade muttered sarcasm rolled out of his lips.

They stayed in silent and gazed at view nature gave it to them. An hour had passed and suddenly the lights on the street were out.

"I know the lights are out and I know it's getting late. Do you want me to take you home?"

"But we're still young and we're wide awake. I don't want to go home yet."

"I don't think doctor Wilkes will appreciate that I didn't take you home."

"My curfew is 10." Wade looked at the time on his cellphone and almost dropped his phone on his face.

"Great Scott! It's almost midnight already. That old man is gonna kill me!." Wade started to panic and study up immediately not before he stretched his hand to Zoe.

"Relax, Wade."

"Relax? I can't right now…."

"My dad is staying at the hotel in Mobile tonight, he said that he will be back tomorrow at lunch time. Don't worry about it."

"Oh…But I should really take you home."

"Okay." She said in a quiet voice.

They walked back to the ride that they parked at the gazebo. When they were in front of Zoe's house, Wade stopped the Vespa and walked to her door like every gentleman would do. Chivalrous down south was not dead yet, you know.

"Hey!" Zoe said loudly to gain Wade's attention. "I got a good idea. Why don't you sit in that little spot over there." Wade was puzzled but obeyed her anyway. He sat on the bench on her front porch.

"Let's stay up all night. Keeping up the moon." She said, excited with her own idea. Wade only nodded because he didn't want this night to end yet. It was too good to be true.

"If we're gonna stay up all night. We have to do something to keep our eyes open." Wade suggested.

"Okay…Let's talk."

"Again?" Wade chuckled

"Yeah. Talk. I would like to know about your future. Like what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"My future? I don't have a future." Zoe's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I wish I have a camera right now. Your face is priceless." Wade laughed hard.

"I thought you were serious for a moment. I thought you were sick or something."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm not sure, but I want to be a bar owner someday. I like to serve."

"That's great. I know that wanted a new busboy because just resigns from the Rammer Jammer. Yesterday was his last day. Also his fiancé. You should try to talk to him. Maybe it's a good start to build your own bar in the future."

"Thank you. I will talk to him. What about you? What do you wanna be?"

"I want to be a doctor. A surgeon if I could. I know that my dad and doctor Breeland are just a general practitioner, so it would really help them if I choose another field of medicines."

"That would be awesome. You will become a supersonic space surgeon." They both laughed at each other. "Hey, can I call you 'doc'."

"Why?"

"Because I know that one day, you will become one of them. Why don't start now so you can get used to it." Zoe turned pink.

"Okay. Wadester."

"Wadester?" Wade asked bewildered. She didn't know why she said that either.

"You have a nickname for me. So I guess it seems fair that I have one for you too."

"Okay, doc." Wade drawled the word 'doc'.

They talked, talked, and talked. They talked about everything like their childhood, their likes, their dislikes, and their secrets. It was like they had been best friend for many years, the truth was they only began to talk with each other about a few weeks ago when Wade bumped into Zoe that day. They talked until the sky started to go orange from the sun coming up. They didn't aware that they really were staying up all night. The flock of birds started chirping and flying around. Zoe yawned and used her hand to cover her mouth.

"I should probably get going."

"Don't go yet."

"Doc, you looked tired. Go to bed. I will see you on Monday at school."

"Okay. Good night, I mean, good morning…ughh…You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Sleep tight, Zoe Wilkes."

"You too."

Wade walked down the front porch and reached to his Vespa before he heard Zoe said something to him from behind his back. Wade turned around and saw Zoe coming to the direction of him.

"Wade, Wait!" She quickly walked down and almost ran to Wade. 'It's now or never.' That was the only thought in her head right now. Zoe pressed her rosy and juicy lips against Wade's chapped lips. She had never been kissed before and she knew that Wade knew that. They closed their eyes and enjoyed the moment. Wade also had never been kissed, not until now. She snaked her arms around his neck and his arms surrounded her thin waist. He started to move a little and it was a like a flame that burned through his body, he bit her lower lip and she opened her mouth slightly, but enough for Wade to let his tongue dance with hers. They kissed and embraced each other until they needed an air. They let go of each other and smiled like a goof.

"Thank you for a good night kiss. Bye."

"Bye, doc." She slowly walked to her door and closed it behind her not before she flashed him her sweetest smile he had ever seen. He rode the Vespa back home with a smile that even a blind person like old man Jackson could see it from afar.


	6. Chapter 6: Everybody Talks

Chapter 6: Everybody Talks

"Hi."

"Hi, Doc." They said awkwardly to each other, but their smiles never faded. It was Monday in the morning and they stood at their lockers. "How was your weekend?"

"It was good, especially Sunday morning." She said sheepishly while Wade flushed when he remembered that incident, and it was the best moment in his entire life.

"I have something to ask you, Doc." He walked closer to her locker.

"Sure, go on." She liked that nickname, maybe nickname could be 'our thing'.

"Would you like…." Before Wade could finish his question. George came into the view from behind and patted Wade's back a couple times.

"Hey, man. Lavon wants us to try out the football, he said that the coach wants to have more substitute. Do you want to?" George asked excitedly with the news, he didn't even know that Zoe was here before then.

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay, I will let Lavon knows. The tryout starts today at 5 in the field."

"I'll be there." George walked away and suddenly remembered something else.

"Oh, and by the way, you lucky bastard! You kissed Zoe Wilkes but didn't tell me. I'm your friend and right now, Lavon is feeling offended by it." George laughed and then, Zoe stepped away from Wade which made George saw her and stopped laughing immediately. He almost choked on his own saliva.

"How did you know that?" Zoe's eyes widened.

"H..Hi Zoe, I didn't see you there." George stuttered.

"I will ask you again, George Tucker. How did you know that Wade and I kissed?" Zoe started to scurry.

"Fr..From Dash Dewitt's Blog. He just published on his blog this morning."

"What?! The whole town will know by now." Zoe paced and her hands went to different directions like she didn't know what to do with her hands. "What did he say about it?"

"He only said that he was on a morning run when he saw you two in front of your porch literally 'eat each other faces'. His words not mine." George said to Zoe.

Wade grabbed her hands and locked it with his. Something in her head just snapped and panicked beginning to overwhelm. She knew that only way to stop it was to have something else take her mind off and the only that she could think of was Wade. He could stop it before her brain burned itself.

"Kiss me." She whispered to him. Wade was taken back by that but obeyed her without questions anyway. He let go of her hands and brought his hands to her face. He cupped her cheeks and leaned down toward her face. She closed her eyes waiting for him to free her. When he saw her closing her eyes, he closed his eyes too. His lips were touching hers and he swore that he could hear fireworks in his head, so loud that his heart beat too fast and he thought he was gonna pass out soon. She slightly bit his lower lip and he opened his mouth. She moaned softly only him could hear and in that moment, Wade was a goner. They went on for a minute until the air became necessary.

"Would you like to go out sometime with me? Like on a date?" Wade asked her. The question was on his mind before George even came to him and he couldn't keep it inside any longer. His hands were all sweaty and his forehead started to form a sweat.

"Yeah, I would like that." She blushed hard.

"I will let you know the details later then." He ran his fingers through his hair like he always did when he was nervous. The bell rang which broke their trances.

"I should really get going. I don't want to be late for the first class." 'But I don't want to leave you either.' She really wanted to say it.

"Do you want me to walk with you to your class?" 'Please say yes. Say yes.' He pleaded with his eyes.

"It would be an honor to be escorted by you, kind sir."

"Nah…I just want to, doc." They walked away together to her class and their hands entwined. They didn't even know that all of the students in the hallway of lockers were watching them like watching television series.

When he came to his class, almost…no…entire class stopped speaking and looking at him. Some even whistled at him, he only gave them a look of confusion but never thought of anything. He sat on his seat and waited for the teacher to come in.

"Psst! Wade! Psst!" A girl in front of him whispered to him.

"What Lemon?" Wade whispered back.

After the prom, Lemon started to hang out with a few times because she was officially dating Lavon and Lavon hanged out with him all the time if he had a spare time, but she also prepared to be the next Belles' leader so she didn't get time to play with him much. He couldn't really understand what Lavon saw in her except her cooking skills.

"Your face."

"My face? What's wrong with my face?"

"Nothing is wrong with your face, Wade. It just your lips are…" A girl who sitting next to Lemon said.

That girl was Annabeth, she was also officially dating golden boy after the prom too and best friend with Lemon since they were toddlers. She wanted to be one of a belle too. Before she could finish her sentence, the teacher came in and started to begin the lesson. Lemon and Annabeth turned their heads toward the board in front of the class. 'What the hell.' Wade thought. The teacher continued to teach until he saw something.

" . I suggest you should go the restroom and wash your face." His classmates laughed which only confused Wade more than anything. He went to the restroom and looked at himself in the mirror.

"Shit!" He cursed when he saw that his lips were over by pink lipgloss from Zoe. He washed it off not before he smiled to himself when he remembered every detail he kissed her. She kissed him hard like she didn't want the kiss to stop and then she made his lips hurt. He got back to the classroom with his red face and continued his day.

In the evening, at 5 Wade, George, and a couple of dudes were waiting for a coach to call them for a tryout. Wade was called by the coach before George because of their last name. After the tryout, the coach let all of us had a fifteen minutes break before he came back with a result.

"Dude. That was awesome." George complimented Wade. They sat together with Lavon on a bleacher.

"You will be a really good blocker if the coach chooses you." Lavon said afterward.

"You think?"

"I know so." Lavon stated. "And you, George, you really have a good throw."

"Yeah? Cool. I want to play football, but my pop wants me to be a lawyer like him." George complained. They talked about other things including the kiss in the hallway between Wade Kinsella and Zoe Wilkes to kill the time. George and Lavon teased Wade until his face turned pink. Before it got further, the coach blew his whistle to get attention from everybody.

"All right, everybody!" Everyone was standing up from their seats, running to the field, and standing in a line of troops. "I have chosen two boys to join my team because those two have a particular aspect that I'm looking for….I choose Kinsella and Tucker!" Other students groaned in despair. "Kinsella! Tucker! I hope I will see you next Friday for a practice after school. And others, I hope you come again next year for the tryout." All of them spread into different directions to collect their bags and walked home.

Next couple days later, everywhere Wade had walked into, there will always start with a whisper. People talked and most of them that Wade caught, he could hear his name and Zoe's name and the word 'kiss'. Wade and Zoe still talked to each other every day in the morning before class started at their lockers.

"I can hear the chitchat every time I walk since that day." Zoe said. They both knew what day she was talking about.

"Everybody talks, doc." Wade smirked.

"Yeah, everybody talks."


End file.
